The event will be held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on February 11-12, 2017. More details about the time, location, and parking can be found here.

I am really excited to attend this event not only to score SWAG, but to also learn more about healthier food choices and to network with other health-minded individuals. There will be tons of samples as well as classes and presentations! Check out the schedule here.

As a bonus, the event is being held in a beautiful location! The Del Mar Fairgrounds offer great views and are located within walking distance to the beach! So snag a hotel and check out the sights after the Expo. It would make for a pleasant weekend getaway!

So what should you expect from this event?

You will get to explore over 100 vendors and brands!

Samples and Coupons!

Discounted items to purchase at the expo!

Classes and presentations about living a more gluten-free and allergen-friendly lifestyle!

Free bag to carry all of your SWAG!

An opportunity to meet authors and bloggers!

This will be an amazing event that you won’t want to miss! I hope to see you there!

And the sooner you purchase, the more you save! Use code “ADVANCE” to save 20%!

As an added Bonus, I will be giving away tickets this month on my Instagram so make sure you are following me (@theswagmama) so you don’t miss your chance to win!

***Note: I am receiving complimentary admission to the Gluten Free Allergen Friendly Expo in exchange for participation in the blogger program. I am also associated with the affiliate program for ticket sales.

I recently participated in the John Hancock – Cooking Light & Health Fit Foodie Race Weekend in San Diego. This year, the event occurred in Fairfax, VA; Austin, Tx; Tampa, FL; and here in San Diego. It’s a full weekend filled with fitness demos, cocktails, parties, and a 10k/5k with celebrity appearances. The Fit Foodie Race also proudly supports the American Diabetes Association. The event ranges in price from $55-$160 depending on how involved you want to be with the weekend; however, there are usually Groupon deals with significant discounts. I actually participated in the 10k for free! But more on that later! Let’s move on to the review…

Packet pick-up was at Road Runner Sports the day before the race and I got in and out pretty quick. I received my bib and t-shirt, but they were also selling some cuter t-shirts and tanks. Then, the best part happened! We got to meet not one, but two race legends – Bill Rodgers and Meb Keflezighi! Bill was super friendly and chatted about his time running through the streets of Boston. Meb was also quite gracious and his daughters were even sprinting behind him on the treadmills!

The race was held downtown and the course ran through the Embarcadero and Seaport Village. It started around 7am, but I got there a little late and ended up parking almost a mile away. Oops. I was a little confused on exactly where the start line was, but that was just the beginning of my confusion. But it was actually a very beautiful day and even got pretty hot later in the morning. I also ran with a fellow Stroller Warrior and friend as well as my 4-year-old – whom my friend helped push along the way.

Now, let’s talk about the course- The 5k course just did one loop around Embarcadero and was pretty simple. The 10k course, on the other hand, was a bit of a cluster. First, there were a couple of splits during the course where the 5k runners went in one direction and the 10k runners went in another. Then, at one point, the course took you down a not so glamorous part of San Diego – filled with graffiti-covered industrial buildings and glass in the streets. I also had the pleasure of running by a homeless gentlemen who was yelling out obscenities and threats to us. I am not normally bothered by the homeless, however, for a moment it slightly took away from my fun race experience…especially since I had my daughter with me. Anywho, I digress. My biggest complaint about the course was that after a while it just became a bunch of confusing and never-ending loops. I even encountered a woman who had run an extra 3 miles because she got misdirected on the course. However, I will say that the course was filled with a good amount of friendly volunteers who were directing the runners as well as passing out water and keeping the energy flowing. I just didn’t like having to ask, “Is this the right way?” at every turn.

Then came the post-race fun and food! We were greeted at the finish line with a tote bag of goodies and medals! There were a lot of live demos, raffles, contests, samples, and the chance to test drive a Lexus. Now, since we started the race a little later than everyone and got confused along the course, this meant that we ended later than most people and ended way later than the 5k runners. Many of the sample areas had pretty long lines by the time I arrived and I didn’t have the patience to wait at all of them. Also, some tables had run out of things which was a little disappointing. Then there was the big “food area” that was really hyped up leading into the event. But I was a little let down to discover that this was nothing more than a tiny plate with two tiny food samples on them. 😦

The DJ was good at holding everyone’s attention and kept the party atmosphere flowing. I was also thankful that I got my pics and autographs from Bill and Meb the day before since the lines to meet them after the race were pretty long.

So what was the SWAG?!

I will say, there was actually quite a bit of swag and I like the phrase on the back of the shirt. If I had more patience, I would have waited for more swag but I felt that I received a good amount! My two favorites from this haul are the Country Archer Beef Jerky and the Jambu full-size notebook with pen. There was also a beer garden, but I didn’t check it out because I had a little one in tow. I also loved the medal, especially the pink ribbon! (The 5kers received a medal with a blue ribbon).

Overall, I enjoyed the event – although I don’t think I would pay the full price for this one, at least not for the 10k. Next time I would do the 5k to avoid the confusing course and so I could get to the post-race party quicker to score more samples and swag. I’m not sure what the Friday and Sunday festivities were like, but I guess I was expecting a little more food on race day since “Food” is what the event is supposed to be all about. I also recommend running it with a friend so they can join in on the party fun.

There were also free race photos! Bonus SWAG!

So how did I run this race for FREE?? Well the Fit Food Race Series offers ambassador positions for each of their locations. The ambassadors offer giveaways on their blogs for free race entries. I found one of the ambassadors on Instagram and ended up winning a free race entry! You can find her blog at Runs and Roses.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween and got lots of candy swag! 😉 Now for part 2 of the WOW Summit that I attended last weekend. Once we returned from the break and visiting all of the wonderful vendors, we met back in the ballroom to listen to Drs. Greenspan and Deardorff speak about environmental issues regarding puberty. They were very informative and gave out copies of their new book, “The New Puberty” to a few lucky attendees! Check out their new book here!

Next, we split up into groups and attended various workshops. The first one I attended was called, “Rid, Restock and Reorganize: Simple Ways to Detox Your Home” by Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD. You may have seen her on various talk shows such as “LIVE with Kelly and Michael” and she also has a new book out called, “Eat Clean, Stay Lean’. She gave us a lot of great tips about how to replace junk in our fridges and pantries with healthier options! Check her out!

The next workshop I attended was basically a nutrition and fitness class presented by someone from Smart Flour Foods and personal trainer Jill Anenberg. She had lots of energy and great information! Follow her on YouTube and Instagram!

After the workshops we went back to the ballroom to hear one last speaker and wait for the raffle giveaways! Sadly, I did not win anything but that’s okay because I had so much fun and scored tons of swag! So the last person to speak was Kimberly Blaine a.k.a. The Go To Mom and she discussed ways for moms to have more awareness in the moment. She was super inspirational and she had a sense of calmness about her that was quite reassuring. She reminded us that we need to give and take love in order to better ourselves. It was a perfect ending to the day! And check out The Go To Mom on Twitter and Instagram.

Then we waited in this long line for our amazing swag bags….

But that’s okay, it was totally worth it! 😉

Now, for what you all have been waiting for…the SWAG!

Yes, it was that much!! And all of the vendors were super friendly and generous. I also got a lot of coupons for free items that I can’t wait to cash in on! I’m not going to list everything out on this one because it would be overwhelming. But, you can check out my Instagram where I tagged most of the brands! This was a fabulous experience and if you get the chance to attend one of these events, definitely jump all over it! You will meet lots of great people and have the opportunity to try out different healthy brands! Thanks again Green Moms Meet and Kiwi Magazine!